Jesus, Who personally rescues us

And [how you] look forward to and await the coming of His Son from heaven. Whom He raised from the dead - Jesus, Who personally rescues and delivers us out of and from the wrath [bringing punishment] which is coming [upon the impenitent] and draws us to Himself [investing us with all the privileges and rewards of the new life in Christ, the Messiah]. 1 Thessalonians 1:10

At the beginning of 2014 I felt the Holy Spirit say to me, 'From this point forward, every time you write a blog entry, make sure the name of Jesus is in the entry'.  So in obedience that is what I have done. I remember a pastor once saying something like this, "Lots of people talk about God and God can be many different things to different people. Jesus is who we need to be talking about. He is the difference. As Jesus said to Thomas in John 14:6, 'I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except (through) Me.'

The scripture from Thessalonians reminds us that Jesus is our personal rescuer. Jesus' blood enables us to be passed over at the time of final judgement. Just as Moses's actions foretold in Egypt, 'By faith (simple trust and confidence in God), he instituted and carried out the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood [on the door-posts], so that the destroyer of the firstborn (the angel) might not touch those [of the children of Israel].' Hebrews 11:28 AMP.

We need to have the faith, the simple trust and confidence, that Jesus can rescue us from whatever we are facing today. He is ready to give us abundance of grace, love and peace. He is waiting to invest in us. All we need to do is ask Him and believe He can do it.

Question for today, is Jesus your personal rescuer? Have you made a decision to let Him invest in you? Why not invite Him to be your rescuer today, to be your truth, your light and your way? If you want to make Jesus your personal rescuer today, click here to find out what to do.

Live openly and expansively!

Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively! 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 MSG

Via Paul's challenge to the Corinthians, God is challenging us to look at the potential in our lives through His eyes. It is no longer good enough for us to say, "We are only one person, nothing that we will do will make a difference". We are not 'only one person'. Once you make the decision to ask Jesus to become your Lord and Saviour, and invite the Holy Spirit into your life,  you become a person with the Holy Spirit inside of you! The very same Holy Spirit who is part of the trinity!

Your life then is no longer small. As God says to us in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  He wants us to 'open up our lives' to Him. He wants us to take up the challenge with the help of the Holy Spirit, the counselor and comforter, and 'live openly and expansively'.

So what does living openly and expansively look like? Using the definitions from the Oxford dictionary it means we would be living 'frankly, honestly; publicly without concealment; able or tending to expand; extensive, wide-ranging; effusive, open, not inhibited, lives. Putting that definition in the context of God's kingdom, I would add to it, 'for the purposes of furthering God's kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.'

God, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit has given us all we need to live that exact type of life, an open and expansive life. Of course it will look different in each of our lives as we all have our unique God given gifts and talents. We have been given those gifts and talents for a reason, so don't hold back in using them. Pray for boldness and courage. Take a step of faith to use them fully as God intended. Remember what Jesus said to the disciples in the storm in Mark 6:50, 51 Take courage! It is I, Don't be afraid. Then he climbed into the boat with them, Jesus is with you every step of the way. He wants you to live openly and expansively today.

Become one heart and mind

I'm praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.
The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind -
Just as you, Father are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us,
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they'll be as unified and together as we are - 
I in them and you in me.
Then they'll be mature in this oneness
And give the godless world evidence
That you've sent me and loved them
In the same way you've loved me.
John 17:20-23 The Message

Jesus is praying for us. The 'us' who believe in Him and the 'us' who will believe in Him.  He is praying for us to all become one heart and mind with Him. Us, all unified with Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. And why is this unity so important? 

This display of unity, will help others to see who Jesus is and what He has done for all of us - And give the godless world evidence that you've sent me and loved them in the same way you've loved me.

Why is unity so difficult to achieve? Is it because unity provides a way of displaying God's unconditional love? A way of drawing people to Himself, so they will make the ultimate choice to be one with Him and have eternal life? 

We have an enemy, the devil, who roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour 1 Peter 5:7b AMP. The enemy wants to break up the unity party! He wants to play havoc with any display of togetherness of us who know and love Jesus. What sort of a witness is infighting and division to the world? How much focus to we lose on the great commission when we are battling against ourselves? 

We must continually be checking our hearts, asking ourselves is there anything we are doing that is hindering the unity of God's people? We can ask for God's help with this heart health check and pray 'create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.' Psalm 51:10 AMP

Questions for today, what action are you taking to increase unity in the body of Christ? Why not ask God to show you something that you specifically can do to to further His cause of unity so the world can see and experience His love for them? 

The Comforter

But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]  John 14:26,27 (AMP)

As life rushes along, sometimes becoming overwhelming, it can be easy to forget that we have our own counselor living each moment with us. A counselor who is ready and available to comfort us. A helper who will guide us to make the right decisions. A strengthener who will help us to continue on when disappointment strikes. An intercessor, the absolutely best intercessor, who knows all our innermost needs and thoughts. 

"The rush of life" has a lot to answer for. Whilst we are doing "The rush" it is very difficult to 'Be still, and know that I am God;" Psalm 46:10 "The rush" can create an environment that leads to agitation. We can find ourselves asking questions like, Why isn't this ready for me now? Why did they take so long? This delay is causing me to be late.  At these times we are certainly not receiving the peace that Jesus left for us. Rather we are living "the rush" and all it's consequences.

What if, when a circumstance comes along that could lead to agitation and frustration, what if we took a few moments to breathe, 'Be still' and ask the Counselor to show us what this circumstance is really about.  What if we asked, What is that my Heavenly Father is trying to teach me in this circumstance? What part of His character is He wanting me to see and understand more about? Imagine how our understanding and appreciation of God's love for us would grow. 

Question for today, next time a situation arises that causes you to become agitated, why not let your first reaction be to call on The Comforter, the One who knows all your needs and listen to what He has to say about the circumstance? And learn to live "the peace" that Jesus has gifted to you rather than "the rush" that the world gives.

Change your mind and purpose

Today I am going to share God's word and pray that the Holy Spirit will touch your hearts as you read this and lead you to the place God wants you to be.

The passage of scripture comes from Acts 3. Peter and John have commanded the crippled beggar to get up walk, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The beggar "began to walk, and he went into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God". (verse 8). The people standing around were amazed at what had just happened. Peter had this to say to people watching....

And Peter, seeing it, answered the people, You men of Israel, why are you so surprised and wondering at this? Why do you keep staring at us, as though by our [own individual] power or [active] piety we had made this man [able] to walk?

The God of Abraham and of Issac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Servant and Son Jesus [doing Him this honour], Whom you indeed delivered up and denied and rejected and disowned in the presence of Pilate, and when he had determined to let Him go. But you denied and rejected and disowned the Pure and Holy, the Just and Blameless One, and demanded [the pardon of] a murderer to be granted to you. But you killed the very Source (the Author) of life, Who God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

And His name, through and by faith in His name, has made this man whom you see and recognize well and strong. [Yes] the faith which is through and by Him [Jesus] has given this man this perfect soundness [of body] before all of you. And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance [not aware of what you were doing], as did your rulers also. Thus has God fulfilled what He foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ (the Messiah) should undergo ill treatment and be afflicted and suffer.

So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord; And that He may send [to you] the Christ (the Messiah), Who before was designated and appointed for you - even Jesus, Who heaven must receive [and retain] until the time for the complete restoration of all that God spoke by the mouth of all that God spoke by the mouth of all His holy prophets for ages past [from the most ancient time in the memory of man]. Acts 3:13-21 (AMP)

Question for today, are you ready to repent, to change your mind and purpose? Jesus is ready and waiting for you.

This is no afternoon athletic contest

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Ephesians 6:10-12 (MSG)

It can be easy to forget that we face supernatural opposition as we walk through our life here on earth. It can be easy to forget that we need to be purposeful in this 'life-or-death fight' and that the fight doesn't stop until we get to heaven.

I am going to share with you a fight in which that I had a use those well-made weapons of God's, particularly, the 'sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.' Ephesians 6:17b (AMP).

I was facing a difficult circumstance and standing on a promise from God. Declaring his Word out aloud, thanking Him in expectancy of the outcome, when at meeting relating to this circumstance, I was told the outcome was going to be completely opposite to the promise I was standing on.

What a knock down this was in the fight! In the natural it was looking as though indeed the devil had won this fight.  Finally in the midst of a busy life with 4 children I found time to sit with God and talk to Him about what I had been told. Admist tears, I opened my journal to record the conversation. This, scripture that was on the page that I opened ...

Jesus looked at them and said, "With me this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26. 

I cannot really describe the peace and love that flooded my heart as I read that scripture. It was as if God knew what I was going to experience that day at the hospital, and He knew what page I needed to open in my journal, and He had His truth there ready for me to read. And of course God did know! He had gone before me and prepared the way in the fight. 

But I cannot get complacent now, rather the exact opposite, I need to press into God more, ensuring I am equipped and ready for the next attack, in whatever form that may take.

I encourage you to stick close to God every day, as this 'life-or-death' fight goes on every day! Take time to read His word, learn His word and glue it into your heart. Jesus truly is our Saviour in every way. 

Questions for today, can you recognize a supernatural fight happening in your life at the moment? What are you doing about it? Are you allowing the devil to be the victor? Or are you using the 'well-made weapons of the best materials' that God has provided for you?

Show what you're made of!

When David's time to die approached, he charged his son Solomon, saying, "I'm about to go the way of all the earth, but you - be strong; show what you're made of! Do what GOD tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation of Moses, then you'll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. Then GOD will confirm what he promised me when he said, 'If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you'll always have a successor on Israel's throne. 1 Kings 2:1-4 MSG

A challenging circumstance gives us the opportunity to show what we're made of. The question is, what is it that we show people? 

Do we show people that we are so self-sufficient that we can handle all circumstances ourselves, without anyone else's help, and certainly without the help of a loving and faithful God? How long can that self-sufficient approach be sustained before we fall in a heap and realize that we do need other people's help, and we do need the help of a loving and gracious heavenly Father?

Or do we show people that challenging circumstances bring out our strengths, but they also bring out our weaknesses? Do we show people that it is okay to have weaknesses because it is in our weakness that God show's His strength? Do we allow God to use our challenging circumstances to show others that He is the ultimate rescuer in every situation?

Can we stand in agreement with Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 and 10 (NIV) when he says, Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So when David says to Solomon, 'be strong, show what you're made of' I believe he is saying to Solomon be strong in your conviction of who you are in God, and show God's power and grace working in your life.

Final questions for today, what is it that you are showing people about yourself when challenging circumstances come your way? Do you allow Jesus to step into your weaknesses, and make you strong? Do you allow yourself to be a vessel of His power, a testimony of His grace?